


"Ninjago: Rise of Reign"

by YASSDENSWH



Category: Lego Ninjago
Genre: (preview), 2/1/18 and still going wow maybe itll update this year lol, Alternate Universe - Apocalypse, Alternate Universe - Dark, Alternate Universe - High School, Awkward Tension, Blood and Gore, Character Death, Elemental Chaos Au, Elemental Magic, Existentialism, Explosions, False Identity, Fluff and Angst, Food, Heterochromia, Implied/Referenced Terrorism, M/M, Major Character Injury, Minor Character Death, Near Death Experiences, One Shot, POV Third Person, Strangulation, burned alive, burned to death, heterochromatic jay, jay-centric, non-human kai, plasmashipping, the elemental masters
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-20
Updated: 2017-04-20
Packaged: 2018-06-09 09:28:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,110
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6900445
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YASSDENSWH/pseuds/YASSDENSWH
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>- When an off new student arrives, Jay's high-school is attacked by something that clearly isn't human. Scared and scarred, he realizes this is only the beginning of worse things to come.<br/>And that new kid might hold the answers he's looking for... -</p>
            </blockquote>





	"Ninjago: Rise of Reign"

**Author's Note:**

> THis may be my first actual posted Ninjago fic! It's pretty dark and violent right from the get go. (If the tags weren't a dead give away)
> 
> Ninjago Au # 9_ The calm before the storm is only dreadful to those that hear it rolling nearer. -

 

( #9)

-

 

        The muted, rhythmic tap of a small eraser against the smooth surface of a school desk top was all that was keeping Jay amused as the rest of the students poured into the room to take their seats. Class was just a few minutes short of commencing, but this was neither a relief nor a disappointment as Jay was already bored out of his mind. He was barely a school week into his junior year of high-school and he already wanted out. Everything around him was the same as his first year; all of the faces surrounding him weren’t fresh and some of which he’d known back in his childhood years. He doubted there was anything interesting in store for him to help kick off the year.

         Yet, strangely enough, something did happen. As fate would have it, just a minute before the first bell rang, appeared a flash of deep, scarlet fabric slipping through the door from his peripheral vision. A mismatched pair or eyes flickered upwards at the entering figure curiously. And like a breath of fresh air, Jay realized with a pleasant pulse in his chest that this was a face he’d never seen before. Which could only mean one thing; A new student. While it wasn’t the MOST interesting thing in the world, the disheveled, chestnut haired youth was certainly eager to accept any kind of variation willing to spice up his life.

        Trailing right after came the teacher, a cup of coffee clenched dearly in a firm grip. It was almost humorous to behold the teacher having to double take at the fresh face before setting the hot coffee down on the well polished, wooden desk. The new arrival didn’t seem to mind this reaction at all, as he stood patiently at the front with his hands stuffed deep into the front pockets of his red hood as the teacher cleared their throat.

 

“Class.” They began, their tone demanding attention to the front. “We have a new student here to join us today. Now let’s see. Ah, you must be Mr. Smith, yes? Go ahead and introduce yourself to the class.”

        The male did nothing much other than have his gaze fleetingly rest on the classroom windows before briefly flickering them back to the students as he spoke.

 

“Hey. My name is Damien Smith and I came in from the countryside.”

 

         His delivery was flat yet somehow simultaneously on edge. His expression showed clear disinterest and indifference to the introduction and curt formalities. He appeared distracted, as his burning red eyes never settled on one single thing for too long. It was as if even in his leisurely state, part of him was always on the move.

           Yet, even so void of emotion, the vivid spark in his hues were quite mesmerizing and a refreshing sight to see. Though it made Jay a tad uneasy, he would never come to notice such a subconscious sense that bundled in the back of his mind from the start. One thing that was certain, was that there was definitely something OFF about the new guy.

 

  
“That’s good enough. Class, this is Mr.Smith’s first time in the city, so be sure to show him the ropes. You may sit in whatever available seat you’d like.“

 

           Without missing a beat, the crimson clad student strolled off towards the back of the room and sat down right next to one of the remaining window seats. The teacher then turned towards the front board to begin class on schedule. However, a sneaking glance in the new kid’s direction told Jay that he was immediately detached from his surroundings.

            The male’s sharp eyes were already staring out the window into a distant nothingness held by the bland, blue sky. He was clearly already off in his own little world, blatantly zoning out from whatever words the teacher uttered.

 

 _‘Guess he’s already raring to leave too.’_ Jay thought. ‘ _Can’t blame him though_.’

 

        The rest of the classes were relatively uneventful, aside from the occasional inquiries made by the other students that were curious enough to approach the new student. Even with all the enthusiasm crowding him, he still seemed rather standoffish and wasn’t too thrilled to answer the barrage of questions spewing his way in periodical bursts.

          Jay wasn’t sure if he was envious of the attention he was getting or not. He seemed a bit stressed out, but overall still not really down to Earth with everyone else. Though he didn’t dawdle on that thought for long, since the lunch block was finally coming around the corner.

 

“Ah, lunch. The best block of the day.” Jay sighed blissfully as he went to take a nearby seat at a lunch table.

 

 _‘Eh, even if the food sucks.’_ His mind added as he spared a peek at what the other students had on their trays.

 

         Right before he was about to dig into the sandwich he had packed for lunch, he caught a glimpse of the new student walking past the cafeteria area and into some of the greenery through the large glass windows of the cafeteria. It seemed he was planning on eating outside, which was not uncommon, especially on such a hot, sunny day without a cloud in the sky.

           However, from the direction he was headed, it also became apparent to Jay that he was also eating alone. Even with the fair amount of attention he had gained before, no one was accompanying him to lunch. Feeling curious and with nothing else better or more interesting to do, the tanned male decided to follow the new kid in hopes of perhaps joining him for lunch.

           Best case scenario, he would get a new friend. Worst case, would be he get denied the chance to sit with him, so there really wasn’t anything lost in at least giving it a shot. He gathered up his belongings and cradled his sandwich in one hand as he skedaddled off in the direction the Smith kid went.

           Once he was out the door, he checked his surroundings briefly and maneuvered through some of the bushes he’d seen the other male weave through. It did feel a tad adventurous, as Jay had never wandered onto this side of the school before, and if the ground crawling with untamed vegetation wasn’t obvious enough, neither had many other people, if any.    
  
_ ‘Wow, this place seriously needs a gardener. Why would anyone wanna eat all the way out here? _ ’ Jay thought to himself.

 

            His curiosity only increased on this matter, however, part of him was beginning to feel a twinge of doubt. As agog as he was, perhaps it might not have been in his best interest to follow the new student. Anyone that goes to such lengths to place themselves away from any form of interaction would probably not be so keen as to want share that private space with whatever individual was willing to equally go out of their way to invade it. 

             Jay shook his head and pushed those thoughts away. He had already come this far. If he turned back now, he would have used up minutes of his precious lunch time for nothing. A few light nicks from loose thorns on his skin wouldn’t keep him from pressing forward. All he had to do was try. 

            Clutching onto his food with a firm grip, Jay blindly weaved through the smarting, wild greenery. At first, he was no longer sure whether he was still headed into the right direction, until he finally stepped out into an open space. The brunet shook stray leaves out of the locks of hair that peeked out from under his beanie as his eyes scanned the area.

           It was cleared out in comparison to the narrow pathway he had pushed through, but it was nowhere near tidy. Tall, trimmed bushes blocked the view ahead of him, but one look up at the school’s structure and Jay could tell he was now located in the south side of the school. Judging from the crushed dead leaves resting on the grassy surface below his feet, it was apparent that while the area was not completely abandoned, it was certainly suffering from misuse and lack of maintenance. It looked more like an exit for students planning to play hooky than anything still serving a functional purpose.

 

          Jay turned his head to the right, catching a glimpse of the familiarly vivid rouge he spotted from the corner of his eye. A few steps in that directions allowed him to confirm his suspicions. It was the Smith kid. He had brushed aside the fallen leaves that scattered the grassy land in order to make a spot for himself. He now simply munched away at the contents of a bento in his lap, seemingly oblivious to his surroundings. Either that or he was already ignoring Jay. Though Jay preferred not to give up hope so soon and pushed the plausibility of that thought aside.  

           As he took a deep breath, Jay worked up every ounce of confidence in his being before casually striding up to the other male with renewed vigor. His steps came to halt on a dime just a respectful distance away before clearing his throat briefly.    
  
“Hey.” Jay tossed casually at the new kid, prompting the addressed boy to momentarily pause his motions to glance up in his direction. 

            Jay fought back against the itching shiver of nervousness wracking through his vessel as it threatened to etch itself across his lips and waver his tone. 

“My name’s Jay.”

 

          The electric-blue clad male cast a brief wave at the other boy with his free hand, plastering the most friendly smile he could muster on his face. The seated student spoke of nothing while staring at Jay. He merely chewed the food between his jaws with a steady composure, as if waiting for Jay to get to the point and state his business. Jay tried not to mind the piercing gaze too much.   
  
“Uh, mind if I join you?”

 

        The scarlet eyed male cast his eyes away from Jay for a moment, seemingly mulling it over for a moment or two before he directed a curt nod towards the hetero-chromatic-eyed boy. Jay fought back the sudden intense urgency to thrust a fist upwards mightily to the heavens in victory and instead settled for smoothing over his chestnut bangs that curled out from under his favorite navy-blue beanie with his free hand. 

 

“Cool, thanks.” Jay murmured breezily.

 

        Slowly, he moved over next to the new guy, clearing out a seat for himself before settling in a spot a comfortable distance apart; not awkwardly nor rudely islanded, but just close enough to engage in a friendly conversation should he be blessed with enough bravado once more. 

            With nervously inept fingers, Jay peeled off the protective wrap cocooning his sandwich, bringing the food to his lips to take a small bite to ease his growing hunger. He occasionally snuck a couple glances at the other boy, unsure of what to say to lighten up whatever social barriers there may be, if he should speak at all. But the more Jay looked, the more he began to  notice about the boy.

          For one, it was evident by the student’s behavior that something was vexing to him. Jay may have been nervous, but that Smith dude was blatantly paranoid. Jay had never met anyone with such strong and intimidating body language, especially in his eyes, yet nothing else was readable much beyond that. Though it wasn’t all too surprising, he didn’t seem to be a man of many words.

        Why, even while he sat down to eat his meal, he seemed so tense. His form appeared rather relaxed, if only judging by the nonchalant curve of his spine, but some of his muscles were visibly taut upon closer inspection, ready to spring into action at a moment's notice. His eyes were quick and his gaze always flickered; Almost as if he was searching, waiting for something to happen. It never ceased to be a bit off-putting, to say the least.

           Yet, through all the uncertainty, Jay was sure of one thing, he certainly wasn’t a sore sight. He was intriguing, as Jay had never really been out in the countryside. The concrete jungle of Ninjago City was his home, all steel and volts of buzzing technology. But he’d never imagined someone would look quite so different.

         Yes, he was dressed like he belonged, but that’s as far as familiarity went. His clothes weren’t anything super fancy, but they hugged his form in all the right ways. He was noticeably fit, the athletic and agile type. He had spiked, chocolate colored hair that Jay briefly wondered if it was natural or the product of a name brand hair gel. 

          Jay was quite tanned, but the other was much darker; Exotic well-tanned skin with a delightfully subtle rosy blush tinting the flesh just right. A fairly defined-boyish jaw line shifting down to the bared, elegantly masculine slants of his throat. Part of him was just _ Itching _ to caress it. Jay decided he wouldn’t have much complaint staring at his profile the whole day. 

           The most captivating feature of all however, were his eyes. Those flaring, sharp orbs of melding sunsets and vivid crimsons; Since the moment he stood in front of the room, Jay was drawn to them. He was completely and utterly mesmerized, succumbing to the passion that burned within them. They were flighty and suspicious in purpose, yes, but no less seductive. There was almost an ethereal quality to them. It was one that begged and beckoned attention, curiosity, respect. In all honesty, the effects were to such a magnitude that peering closer, Jay would consider them  _ INHUMAN _ . 

          With that thought, it was as if a silent cue had been struck. The criss-cross seated male had ceased eating momentarily at the sensation of intense scrutiny. With a pause, his lashes fluttered in a pair of blinks, turning his head away from Jay just slightly. When the chocolatey fringe curtained over his scarlet eyes, Jay broke out of his trance. His sun-freckled cheeks flushed up to his ears and he practically buried his nose into his sandwich. He’d accidentally been caught staring. How  _ embarrassing _ . 

 

_ ‘Nice work, Jay. You’ve already made things weird and you’ve exchanged less than a dozen words with the guy. Gotta chill out now before you ruin it.’ _ Jay’s subconscious chastised. 

 

          The duo ate in natural silence as Jay wracked his brain for a casual conversation starter. He didn’t wanna say something lame or force anything like he was trying too hard. It’d probably only make things awkward with someone as seemingly  _ SOCIABLE  _ as Smith there.

 

‘ _ But it’s only awkward if you make it awkward. Try being original. _ ‘

 

“Fuck school lunch, amirite?” Jay blurted out.

 

        What.The. **_FUCK_ ** . 

 

“.....what?”

        **‘** _**SMOOTH** , Jay _ .  _ A real panty-dropper. _ ’

 

“Uhh, I said, it seems we both prefer our own lunches over school lunch.”

  
  


“Oh, Yeah.” The boy agreed distantly. “I’m not really familiar… with your food choices.”

  
  


“That’s probably for the better.” Jay replied through a bite of his sandwich. 

  
  


“...really?” 

  
  


“Yeah, dude. The food’s  _ FUCKED _ .”

 

         Smith shook his head with a slight huff.

 

“...Sounds delicious.” He said dryly. 

 

“Pfft, maybe if you gargled with enough mouthwash before eating to cover it up.” Jay retorted.

 

           This was better, Jay noted, but it wasn’t quite enough. There was still a wall put up in the way the other boy spoke, though he was opening up to Jay just slightly, whether he was just humoring him or not. He figured if he could keep this up, he could find out more about this new student that held so much mystery and maybe even become friends.   
  
_ ‘Alright, so far so good. You got him to reply with sarcasm. Baby steps, Jay.’ _ __  
  
“So… how is it?”   
  
“Huh?” Came the somewhat delayed reaction from the scarlet-clad student. He had apparently not expected Jay to continue trying to initiate a conversation.   
  
“The place you’re from.” Jay elaborated. “You came from outside the city, right? How is it there? I’ve never really been anywhere that wasn’t surrounded by metal structures, so i’m just curious.”

 

“Uh. Well it’s… very hot. It’s cooler here, in the city.”   
  
“Oh.” Jay responded shortly, as he found some difficulty in trying to keep the disappointment from the other’s withdrawn reply from showing.    
  
          Quickly, he cleared his throat to cover it up and aimed to push a few more questions onto the other boy in hopes of getting more squeezed out of him.   
  
“So, uh, what do you think of Ninjago City so far? It’s probably a big change of scenery for you, huh?”   
  
         The other frowned, though it was not one of annoyance, but rather one paired with a bit of a distant look, his sharp brows furrowing as he pondered the question for a bit. 

  
“Yes, it is. Everyone here is very… loud. Not in a bad way exactly, it’s just different. It’s a very quiet place, my home outside of the city.“ 

 

        The way the words dipped down out of the boy’s lips and heavily pooled in the space between them tugged with aching fingers at Jay’s chest. It was laced with a tone one would use when speaking of a place that no longer existed or that could never be returned to, left behind. It was something uttered so vulnerably, so forlorn, it sent the briefest of shivers down his spine. Listening felt more like walking in on something private, that should never been seen or heard by wandering eyes and ears. Brilliant red warning bells as sharp as a knife went off at the back of his head that intensely suggested to no longer push onto that specific subject and quickly move onto something else. Yet, he found himself speaking before his mind could even catch up with what he was doing.

 

“Do you miss it?” He spoke softly, carefully, the experience of his words detached from himself, as if he were observing another ask the question.

 

        A pause. A breath. Jay’s brain was already scrambling to change the subject and form an apology for prying when a single word response stopped him.

 

“No.”

  
       He blinked, his face momentarily blank. Jay’s brows then furrowed slightly in confusion. The boy had sounded so distantly hurt by the subject, yet he hardly missed a beat to respond with all by a surprisingly truthful yet simple  _‘No’_. It’s **_off_** , it’s **_weird_**. Just when he was going to possibly alter his original impression, too. Jay concluded he really couldn't understand him at all.  

 

[...]

-

(!!PREVIEW!!)

  

\- - -

 

**Author's Note:**

> Preview for the one-shot!  
> I can't guarantee it'll delve deeper than a one-shot (a two-shot isn't even enough to cover this Au but it'd be the most i'm willing to offer), but i'm always happy to answer questions! (And if you pay attention at all, there WILL be questions)  
> Give me energy!  
> -  
> EDIT: April, 20, 2017: *UPDATES THIS SHIT NEARLY A YEAR LATER WITH ONLY A MEASLY 2K+ WORDS.*  
> What. the. FUCK. Is anyone still even INTERESTED in this fic? it's not even done after all this time FUCK, it's hardly interesting. I can't wait to get to the action part, but how long is this gonna take me UGH. Shit. One day, i SWEAR i gotta finish this damn one-shot. -


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